Tag: Eau Claire Rivermen

2024 CRBL Schedule Released

The Chippewa Rivers Baseball League (CRBL) has revealed the 2024 season schedule. Five teams will compete in the North Division and six teams will compete in the South Division. The 110-game season will see each CRBL team play a 20-game schedule starting Sunday, April 28th. The 2024 season will mark the 96th season of league play.

Notable Schedule Dates

  • Sunday, April 28th – Opening Day
  • Sunday, July 7th – CRBL All-Star Game hosted by the Jim Falls Sturgeons at Grudem Field, 2 pm (Hall of Fame Classes of 2024 to be honored)
  • Wednesday, July 31st – Wildcard Wednesday
  • Saturday, August 3rd – Championship Saturday

All weekday games begin at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted). All weekend games begin at 12:30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Follow www.crblbaseball.com all season long for scores, standings and schedule changes.

Each teams individual 2024 schedule can be found at their team page:

NOTE: Schedule Subject to Change

Second Year for CRBL Spring Showcase

The Chippewa Fall LumberJacks are excited to host the CRBL Spring Showcase Tournament at Casper Park on April 20th and 21st. We look forward to an fun and competitive weekend of baseball for our players, fans, and local community. 

The tournament has grown from four to seven teams with a total of 10 games scheduled over the two day tournament.

The LumberJacks will offer full concessions and other activities during the course of the weekend for the fans and players alike. 

Showcase Schedule

Saturday, April 20th – 8:00AM, Bloomer vs EC Rivermen
Saturday, April 20th – 10:30AM, Bloomer vs Chippewa Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 1:00PM, Beef River vs Chippewa Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 3:30PM, Augusta vs Jim Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 6:00PM, EC Bears vs EC Rivermen
Saturday, April 20th – 8:30PM, EC Bears vs Jim Falls
Sunday, April 21st – 8:00AM, Home Run Derby
Sunday, April 21st – 9:30AM, Augusta vs Beef River
Sunday, April 21st – 12:00PM, 1 Seed vs 4 Seed
Sunday, April 21st – 2:30PM, 2 Seed vs 3 Seed
Sunday, April 21st – 5:00PM, Championship Game

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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 8:00 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 10:30 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 1:00 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 3:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 6:00 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 8:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 21, 2024 9:30 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

2024 CRBL Spring Showcase Finals

Round 1 Round 2
  
April 21, 2024
12:00 pm
 
April 21, 2024
5:00 pm
 
 
 
April 21, 2024
2:30 pm
 
 
 

2023 Team & Individual Stat Leaders

CRBL Hitting Leaders

Player Team H AB AVG
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 25 46 .543
Cole Zwiefelhofer Tilden Tigers 26 52 .500
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 34 70 .486
Bobby Soran Jim Falls Sturgeons 30 64 .469
Blake Johnson Eau Claire Bears 26 59 .441
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 28 64 .438
Jack Bowe Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 24 56 .429
Nolan Hutzler Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 25 61 .410
AJ Schemenauer Jim Falls Sturgeons 26 65 .400
Joe Halling Eau Claire Bears 23 59 .390

Player Team At-Bats
Caden Erickson Eau Claire Cavaliers 85
Lance Lettner Eau Claire Rivermen 73
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 70
Nolan Baier Tilden Tigers 67
Chad Kron Cadott Red Sox 67

Player Team Hits
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 34
Bobby Soran Jim Falls Sturgeons 30
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 28
Blake Johnson Eau Claire Bears 26
AJ Schemenauer Jim Falls Sturgeons 26
Cole Zwiefelhofer Tilden Tigers 26

Player Team Doubles
Caden Erickson Eau Claire Cavaliers 10
Matt Martineau Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 10
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 10
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 9
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 7
AJ Schemenauer Jim Falls Sturgeons 7
Blake Loegering Eau Claire Rivermen 7

Player Team Home Runs
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 8
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 5
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 5
Ely Johnson Cadott Red Sox 4
Jaxon Kostka Osseo Merchants 3
Bobby Soran Jim Falls Sturgeons 3

Player Team RBI’s
Gabe Richardson Osseo Merchants 34
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 32
Jaxon Kostka Osseo Merchants 26
Nolan Baier Tilden Tigers 21
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 20
Cole Zwiefelhofer Tilden Tigers 20

Player Team Runs
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 33
Todd Wienkes Osseo Merchants 24
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 22
Tristan Hable Jim Falls Sturgeons 21
Lucas Steinmetz Tilden Tigers 21

Player Team SB’s
Lance Lettner Eau Claire Rivermen 13
Chad Kron Cadott Red Sox 9
Nate Kent Eau Claire Bears 8
Gabe O’Brien Eau Claire Cavaliers 7
Josh Garcia Eau Claire Cavaliers 7

Player Team BB’s
Nolan Hutzler Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 22
Lucas Steinmetz Tilden Tigers 21
Gabe O’Brien Eau Claire Cavaliers 17
Ryan Freitag Osseo Merchants 15
Jake Varsho Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 15
Todd Wienkes Osseo Merchants 15

Team Hits At-Bats AVG
Tilden Tigers 214 624 .343
Osseo Merchants 198 589 .336
Jim Falls Sturgeons 174 568 .306
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 177 587 .302
Eau Claire Bears 172 576 .299
Cadott Red Sox 168 595 .282
Eau Claire Rivermen 171 633 .270
Eau Claire Cavaliers 162 619 .262
Augusta Athletics 143 597 .240
Bloomer Fighting Woodticks 126 539 .234
Beef River Bullfrogs 130 576 .226

CRBL Pitching Leaders

Pitcher Team ER IP ERA (Min 20 IP)
Laidel Torres Osseo Merchants 0 27 0.00
Tanner Halverson Tilden Tigers 0 20 0.00
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants 7 63 1.00
Lucas Costley Eau Claire Cavaliers 8 53.2 1.35
Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears 10 57 1.58
Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox 11 56 1.77
Joel Zachow Eau Claire Bears 6 26.2 2.03
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 10 39.2 2.27
Blake Trippler Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 7 22 2.86
Tim Anderson Beef River Bullfrogs 9 26.1 3.08

Pitcher Team IP’s
Tyler Gray Eau Claire Rivermen 73
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants 63
Jesse Urbanek Eau Claire Rivermen 62.2
JJ Breaker Augusta Athletics 59.2
Curtis Dachel Bloomer Fighting Woodticks 59

Pitcher Team W
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants 8
Tyler Gray Eau Claire Rivermen 6
Lucas Costley Eau Claire Cavaliers 6
Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox 6
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 5
Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears 5
PJ LeQuia Tilden Tigers 5
Jesse Urbanek Eau Claire Rivermen 5

Pitcher Team Win % (Min 5 decisions)
Lucas Costley Eau Claire Cavaliers 1.000 (W – 6 L – 0
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 1.000 (W – 5 L – 0)
PJ LeQuia Tilden Tigers 1.000 (W – 5 L – 0
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants .889 (W – 8 L – 1
Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox .857 (W – 6 L – 1)

Pitcher Team K’s
Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears 91
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants 82
Andrew Milner Eau Claire Cavaliers 65
Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox 63
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 61

Pitcher Team Saves
Peter Thaler Jim Falls Sturgeons 2
Tyson Woodcock Eau Claire Cavaliers 2

Pitcher Team Shutouts
Luke Eide Osseo Merchants 3
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 2
Laidel Torres Osseo Merchants 2

Pitcher Team K’s/9 IP (Min 20 IP)
Andrew Milner Eau Claire Cavaliers 14.51 (65 K/40.1 IP)
Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears 14.37 (91 K/57 IP)
Alex Byom Osseo Merchants 13.84 (61 K/39.2 IP)
Jalen Pascal Eau Claire Cavaliers 13.70 (35 K/23 IP)
Laidel Torres Osseo Merchants 12.00 (36 K/27 IP)

Team ER’s IP’s ERA
Osseo Merchants 40 142 2.54
Eau Claire Bears 43 148 2.62
Eau Claire Rivermen 59 158 3.36
Tilden Tigers 56 149.1 3.38
Eau Claire Cavaliers 75 161.2 4.18
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks 70 141 4.47
Cadott Red Sox 73 146.1 4.49
Augusta Athletics 105 148.1 6.37
Jim Falls Sturgeons 101 138.1 6.57
Beef River Bullfrogs 112 144.1 6.98
Bloomer Fighting Woodticks 139 137.2 9.09

2023 Season Highlights & Milestones

  • Tilden rookie Brady Christianson threw the league’s 67th no-hitter on June 4th in a 5-inning, 14-0 victory over the Beef River Bullfrogs.
  • Alex Byom twirled the 68th no-hitter in CRBL history in Osseo’s 11-0, 5-inning win vs. Bloomer on June 11th. It was Byom’s league record 4th no-hitter.
  • Tyler Gray of the Eau Claire Rivermen spun the 15th shutout of his career on July 23rd in a 7-0 win vs. the Jim Falls Sturgeons. Gray currently ranks 3rd all-time in that category, tied with the Eau Claire Bears’ Chevy Tollefson. The all-time leader in CRBL shutouts is Jim Hoepner with 19.
  • Additionally, with 73 innings, 6 wins, and 9 decisions this season, Gray is now 2nd all-time in wins with 98, 2nd all-time in innings pitched with 1,146.2, as well as 2nd all-time with 157 decisions. The all-time leader in wins is CRBL Hall of Famer Jim Hoepner with 109 while fellow CRBL Hall of Famer Russ Nelson has the most decisions with 219 and the most innings pitched with 1,770.1.
  • With 59 frames this season, Bloomer’s Curtis Dachel moved into 6th place all-time in career innings pitched with 851.1.
  • Osseo’s Laidel Torres did not give up an earned run in 27 innings of work. The single-season ERA record is held by another Osseo pitcher – Jake Peterson – who had an ERA of 0.00 in 29 innings during the 2018 league season.
  • With 8 more long balls this year, Osseo’s Ryan Freitag now has 62 home runs in his outstanding CRBL career. The all-time leader in taters is Tilden legend Randy Baier with 83.
  • In the “rate’ stats area, Freitag is the all-time leader in on base percentage (.551), 2nd all-time in slugging percentage (.737), and 2nd all-time in OPS. (1.288). The all-time leader in slugging percentage is former Augusta Athletic masher Jeremiah Paulson with an .835 mark. Paulson is also the all-time leader in OPS., checking in with a 1.365 total.
  • The Eau Claire Bears’ Todd Lasher had 12 RBI’s this season, giving him 360 over his standout 22-season CRBL career, good for 2nd place all-time. The all-time leader in RBI’s is Bloomer icon Scott Stuckert with 365.
  • Moreover, with 3 doubles in 2023, Lasher also moved into 3rd place all-time in doubles with 90 two-baggers. The clubhouse leader is Niese with 111. (And) with 18 hits and 61 at-bats this season, the Bears’ outfielder is now 4th all-time in both categories, with 474 hits and 1,369 at-bats. The all-time leader in each is the Eau Claire Rivermen’s Andy Niese, who currently has 642 hits and 1,878 at-bats.
  • Longtime Eau Claire Bear Jim Thill had 10 hits this season, putting his career total at 403 and becoming just the 9th hitter in CRBL history to go over the 400-hit barrier.
  • By walking 14 times this season, Niese moved into 2nd place all-time in free passes with 359. The all-time leader is Tilden great Mitch Steinmetz with 374.
  • Eau Claire Rivermen player/manager Andy Niese became the first manager in CRBL history to record 200 managerial wins, with the milestone coming in a 6-2 victory vs. the Jim Falls Sturgeons in the second game of a doubleheader sweep on July 23rd.
  • Niese also has now managed 350 games over his 19 seasons as a player/manager, good for 2nd place all-time. CRBL Hall of Famer Scott Stuckert is the undisputed leader with an incredible 486 game managed over his venerable 27-seasons leading Bloomer.

CRBL Managers Select All-League Players

The Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) managers have voted and selected the 2023 all-league awards.

Position Player Team
OF Tanner Halvorson* Tilden Tigers
OF Jaxon Kostka Osseo Merchants
OF Jack Bowe Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
3rd Base Gabe Richardson* Osseo Merchants
Shortstop Nolan Hutzler* Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
2nd Base Caden Erickson Eau Claire Cavaliers
1st Base Blake Johnson Eau Claire Bears
Catcher Bobby Soran Jim Falls Sturgeons
Utility PJ Lequia Tilden Tigers
DH Ryan Freitag* Osseo Merchants
Pitcher Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears
Pitcher Luke Eide* Osseo Merchants
Pitcher Lucas Costley Eau Claire Cavaliers
*Unanimous Selection
  • Five unaimous selections – Luke Eide, Gabe Richardson, Nolan Hutzler, Tanner Halvorson and Ryan Freitag
  • Among the thirteen individuals selected for 2023 All-CRBL awards, there were nine first time award winners.
  • Two individuals were repeat winners from 2023.
  • The all-time leader in All-CRBL awards is the Eau Claire Rivermen’s Andy Niese with 13.
Award Player Team
Rookie of the Year Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox
MVP Tanner Halvorson Tilden Tigers
Jim Hoepner – Pitcher of the Year* Luke Eide Osseo Merchants
Jan Krueger – Manager of the Year Rick Danielson Cadott Red Sox
Sportsmanship Award Bloomer Woodticks
*Inaugural Year
  • The Jim Falls Sturgeons and Bloomer Fighting Woodticks have the most CRBL Sportsmanship Awards of any team/organization with 10 each.

Honorable Mention All-CRBL

Team Player Position
Augusta Athletics JJ Breaker Utility
Beef River Bullfrogs Will Thibideau Catcher
Bloomer Woodticks Connor Hicks 1st Base
Cadott Red Sox Cole Bakkum OF
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks Jake Varsho 2nd Base
Eau Claire Bears Joe Halling Catcher
Eau Claire Cavaliers Cooper Kapanke 1st Base
Eau Claire Rivermen Blake Loegering 1st Base
Jim Falls Sturgeons AJ Schemenauer Utility
Osseo Merchants Alex Byom Pitcher
Tilden Tigers Cole Zwiefelhofer DH
  • Of the eleven individuals recognized with an Honorable Mention All-CRBL award, nine were first time selections
  • Tyler Gray’s seven Honorable Mention Awards are the CRBL record.

Gold Glove Awards

Team Player Position
Augusta Athletics Ryan Stunkel Catcher
Beef River Bullfrogs Taylor Rathke 2nd Base
Bloomer Woodticks Tyler Plitnzer Catcher
Cadott Red Sox Zach Merritt 3rd Base
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks Trevor Franz OF
Eau Claire Bears Joe Halling Catcher
Eau Claire Cavaliers Xavier Bembnister CF
Eau Claire Rivermen Lance Lettner CF
Jim Falls Sturgeons Tristan Hable CF
Osseo Merchants Todd Wienkes Catcher
Tilden Tigers Drew Steinmetz SS
  • This is the third season for the CRBL’s Gold Glove Awards.
  • Of the eleven gold glove recipients, seven were first time winners and three were repeat winners.

Mid Season CRBL Stat League Leaders

Here is a list of the mid-season stat league leaders. Teams have played different amounts of games varying from 9 to 14 games at the time these stats were submitted.

WINS

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 5

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 5

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 4

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 4

Zack Thiesse (Cadott Red Sox) – 3

ERA (min 18 inn pitched)

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 0.80

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 0.96

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 1.03

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 2.08

Henry Wilkinson (Cadott Red Sox) – 2.50

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 2.79

INNINGS PITCHED

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 42

Zack Thiesse (Cadott Red Sox) – 36

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 35

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 35

Curtis Dachel (Bloomer Woodticks) – 34.2

JJ Breaker (Augusta Athletics) – 29

Wes Boyarski (Beef River Bullfrogs) – 28.1

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 28

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 26

STRIKEOUTS

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 42

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 41

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 33

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 33

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 31

Andrew Milner (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – 27

Henry Wilkinson (Cadott Red Sox) – 25

Curtis Dachel (Bloomer Woodticks) – 25

AVG. (min 24 PA)

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – .513

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – .484

Cole Zwiefelhofer (Tilden Tigers) – .481

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – .475

Tristan Hable (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – .469

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – .464

Gabe O’Brien (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – .454

Will Thibideau (Beef River Bullfrogs) – .452

Connor Hicks (Bloomer Woodticks) – .444

Blake Johnson (Eau Claire Bears) – .440

Doubles

Caden Erickson (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – 7

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 6

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 5

Jakob Rosemeyer (Augusta Athletics) – 5

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 5

Nolan Baier (Tilden Tigers) – 5

HR

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 5

Gabe Richardson (Osseo Merchants) – 3

AJ Schemenauer (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 2

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 2

Todd Lasher (Eau Claire Bears) – 2

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – 2

SB

Lance Lettner (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 8

Chad Kron (Cadott Red Sox) – 7

Nate Kent (Eau Claire Bears) – 6

Ben Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 5

RBIs

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 19

Gabe Richardson (Osseo Merchants) – 16

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – 16

Nolan Baier (Tilden Tigers) – 15

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 14

R

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 18

Lucas Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 15

Tristan Hable (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 14

Ben Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 13

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 13

Todd Weinkes (Osseo Merchants) – 13

2023 Team Previews / Rosters

The Augusta Athletics, Powered by Stensen Excavating and Transport, are back in the CRBL and the Athletics are excited to bring baseball back to the newly renovated Jan Krueger Diamond at Memorial Field.

The A’s lineup will be filled with some familiar faces and a few ones. The lineup will include members of the former A’s, JJ and Cody Breaker; along with Brice Shimon and Parker Gehrmann who previously suited up for the Merchants. In addition, some recent graduates from Augusta, Fall Creek, Eau Claire and Thorp will fill out the roster. The A’s have also identified some hidden talent that will be joining the team after their high school season concludes.

The Athletics will be managed by Duane Ives and Byron King. Duane was a long-time player for the Athletics during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Bryon has served as the assistant baseball coach for the Augusta High School team for past few years.

The Athletics enter the season with a lot of questions about their pitching staff, position players and hitting…but are excited to work through all those challenges and put a competitive team on the field!

Fans of the Athletics should be excited about the upcoming season and the potential of the new team! The team would like to thank all their sponsors for helping get the team off the ground this season. (Take a second and scroll through our sponsors below). Hope to see you all out at the field this season!

Check us out on Facebook

ROSTER: Chase Stensen-Veenendahl, Brennan Stensen-Veenendahl, JJ Breaker, Cody Breaker, Cole Stensen, Brice Shimon, Parker Gehrmann, Cameron Martzke, Logan Brown, Ryan Grunewald, Matt Vesperman, Jakob Rosemeyer, Ryan Stunkel

Managers: Duane Ives & Byron King

While the Bullfrogs showed an improvement on the field last year, the 2023 Frogs will look to be the surprise of the CRBL.

Beef River returns most of their team from last year, including the team leader in hits Ryan Gray (14). Taylor Rathke/Tim Prince (12), Kyle Maug (11), Ethan Bartels (10) and Wes Boyarski (1 HR) also are returning as leading hitters from last year’s squad. Returning arms include Bartels (49.2 IP), Boyarski (34) and Prince (24.1). The Frogs will be looking to some of the fresh faces to help them get through the season on the mound.

Preston Benedict is one name to watch on the mound as a newcomer for the Frogs and to the CRBL. Derek Bills brings some late game heat, while Dylan Fox will also look to take on some innings as a fresh face.

Will Thibideau will make his full CRBL season debut with the Frogs. Thibideau went 5-13 in 3 games for the Frogs last season, including a double. Carter Johnson will also make his return to the Outfield after playing in just 5 games for the Frogs last season. Storm Standiford comes over to the Frogs after having spent time with the Eau Claire Cavaliers and most recently the Osseo Merchants. The lefty will look to help anchor the lineup at 1B and the DH position. Jackson Faulkner will join the Frogs after spending last season with the Cavaliers. Colin Boyarski will join the squad after his senior season with Altoona. Colin is the younger brother of Wes Boyarski and will look to provide a boost at the plate while manning the hot corner and some games behind the dish.

Hanging up the cleats to be a full-time dad is Brendan McCabe. McCabe brought an electric energy to the squad as a Veteran and went out with a bang, hitting .333 with 4 doubles, while also earning his first All-Star game selection, and Gold Glove award behind the dish. McCabe’s energy and love for the game will be missed this season.
The Bullfrogs are excited to have fans back out to the Ballpark this summer and can’t wait to see what the season holds.

Go Frogs!

ROSTER: Dyllan Bauer, Austin Baker, Ethan Bartels, Preston Benedict, Derek Bills, Colin Boyarski, Wesley Boyarski, Jackson Faulkner, Parker Fischer, Dylan Fox, Ryan Gray, Brandon Jaenke, Carter Johnson, Justin Julson, Reece Lucas, Ethan Maug, Kyle Maug, Daniel Palubicki, Tim Prince, Taylor Rathke, Cody Skabroud, Storm Standiford, Will Thibideau, Brett VanVlack, Austin Zimmerman 

MANAGER: Taylor Rathke, Ethan Bartels

The 2022 Woodticks were something. We aren’t sure what, but they were something. An uncharacteristic one win season is something that the 2023 version of the Woodticks will work to turn into what feels like ancient history.

The roster is built like a bread forward sandwich. The top piece of bread is those same faces that have suited up for several seasons. The team will hope the veterans can provide steadiness. The middle of the sandwich includes a couple players that are really coming into their own as they continue to play in the battle tested CRBL. The final part of the roster that makes up the the bottom piece of bread is full of players who are young and ready to show their talents. This group of Ticks have either just joined the team or have played in parts of only a couple seasons. We are excited to see how the season plays on for this group!

We would like to thank all of our local sponsors as well as the players’ families for the time and effort they give to help our season run. We hope to see you head up north to Bloomer for some Woodtick action this season!

The Red Sox are excited to be back for another year of CRBL baseball in 2023! Going into last season the team had a lot of unknowns with several key veterans retiring and many new faces joining the team.  The club didn’t know what to expect with these new players but they exceeded expectations and laid a promising foundation for the upcoming 2023 season.

Returning to the lineup this season on the infield are all star and rookie of the year runner up Chad Kron.  Kron took control of the leadoff spot last year with a 340 batting average and played a great shortstop.  Fresh off his first career All CRBL Award veteran Zac Merritt (362 BA) looks to be an anchor in the middle of the lineup.  Filling out the infield will be Austin Goettl, Parker Lemanski, Jonah Hanson, Sam Feck, Cole Bakkum, and Conner Roth. Second year player Ryan Smith figures to be the primary catcher.

In years past the Sox have been thin in the outfield.  This is not the case anymore.  Ely Johnson will return to centerfield where he batted 467(14 for 30) last season.  Two time gold glove winner and 2022 all star Shawn Sedlacek is slotted to man left field.  Logan Burzynski who made the all star team as a rookie last year, Tony Riley and Bennett Bowe will all be big contributors as well.

Something Cadott has struggled with for years has been pitching depth.  In one years time Cadott has completely revamped their starting rotation.  Second year player Alex Schmidt joined the team in April last year and finished third in the league in innings pitched with 56.  After months of negotiations the Red Sox were able to add two time all star Zack Thiesse. His veteran leadership, playoff experience, and durability will be a major plus for the team. Eau Claire North graduate and current University of Minnesota Duluth pitcher Henry Wilkinson will join the team in June as will Cadott high school standout and southpaw Warren Bowe.  On paper this rotation is the strongest Cadott has had in over a decade.

Red Sox fans should be excited about the potential of their team for the upcoming season!   The team would like to thank all of their fans and their outstanding sponsors.  (Take a second and scroll through our sponsors below). Hope to see you all out at the field this season!  Let’s play ball!

ROSTER: Cole Bakkum, Bennett Bowe, Warren Bowe, Logan Burzynski, Henry Danielson, Rick Danielson, Sam Feck, Austin Goettl, Jonah Hanson, Ely Johnson, Chad Kron, Parker Lemanski , Zac Merritt, Ben Poppe, Tony Riley, Conner Roth, Alex Schmidt, Shawn Sedlacek, Ryan Smith, Zack Thiesse, Henry Wilkinson

MANAGER: Rick Danielson

The Chippewa Falls LumberJacks continue to make their mark as a highly competitive and successful team in the CRBL and Amatuer Baseball in this part of the state. In 2022 we were one of four teams to make the CRBL Playoffs which marked the second year in row we have done so. Our 21-10 overall season record put us over 20 wins for the second consecutive year as well.

The Jacks participated in the WBA (Wisconsin Baseball Association) Tournament for the 3rd straight year going 1-1 in Regional play. Getting back to the WBA Tournament and competing for the championship will be one of our top goals for 2023.

Individually Matt Martineau gathered unanimous All-CRBL honors at 2nd Base. Nolan Hutler received Honorable Mention All-CRBL and Caleb Gardow won a CRBL Gold Glove.

Of note the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks will be the host for the 2023 CRBL All-Star Game on June 30th at 7:00 pm and among the events will be the induction of the CRBL HOF Class for 2023. Former Lumberjacks Chuck Hall and Jim Spaeth will be inducted into the HOF along with some other CRBL legends so please mark your calendars for this special event.

Finally, the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks would like to thank all of our sponsors, fans, media, and support staff for all of their efforts in helping us achieve the success we have enjoyed our first three seasons. The 2023 home schedule is loaded with fun and entertaining Game Day Events and those wearing the LumberJack uniform wiil be ready to “Play Ball” as they say so come on out and support the Jacks!

The Eau Claire Bears look to continue their run of success in 2023. The 2023 Bears will be lead by All League Pitcher Joel Zachow and Outfielder Todd Lasher. The Bears will also be returning a long list of veterans including 2023 All Stars Chevy Tollefson, Blake Johnson, Matt Miller, and Jimmy Thill. The Bears are also bringing in some new blood this season to help the team out as well as bringing back a few veterans that will make some appearances throughout the season. 2022 marked the first year in Tollefson managerial career the bears did not reach the state tournament losing in an extra inning Heartbreaker in the regional final. The Bears plan to be back with a vengeance in 2023 and hope to claim that state title.

ROSTER: Chevy Tollefson, Todd Lasher, Jim Thill, Blake Johnson, Sam Janni, Ty Fadness, Matt Miller, Alex Jinkins, J.R. Lukes, Nathan Kent, Logan Berg, Mitch Bendickson, J.D. Prescher, Nate Larson, Quentin Gonzalez, Grant Preston, Tyler Oestrich, Joel Zachow, Will Mallett-Brown, Jack Shirpke, Joe Halling, Josh Halling, Wes Fleischer, Chris Budd, Hunter Guenther

The Eau Claire Cavaliers is an amateur baseball organization that started in in 1971. The 2023 baseball season will see the Eau Claire Cavaliers starting their 6th season as members of the Chippewa River Baseball League.

The 2022 baseball season saw the Cavaliers qualify for the WBA playoffs at the Merrill regionals. We started the playoffs by playing the Spring Valley Hawks and lost 4-5. The next day we played the Everest Merchants and won 4-3. We qualified for the WBA State Tournament held in Viroqua, WI. We played the Brill Millers and won 11-2 and lost to the River Falls Fighting Fish 0-10.

CRBL award winners were Cooper Kapanke CRBL 1st basemen, Caden Erickson CRBL golden glove and Ben Boda honorable mention.

The Eau Claire Cavaliers would like to welcome Ryan Bembnister as our new field manager for the 2023 baseball season. He becomes the 11th field manager in the history of our organization.

The Cavaliers would like to wish all of the teams of the Chippewa River Baseball League the best of luck in the league in 2023. We invite all baseball fans to come to Carson Park for baseball action at its best this summer.

ROSTER: Andrew Milner, Tyson Allen-Woodcock, David Jannsen, Cade Mueller, Luke Erickson, Xavier Bembnister, Gabe O’Brien, Jaxon Vance, Austin Goetsch, Josh Garcia, Jack Redwine,Chase Yaeger, Ben Boda, Lucas Costley, Caden Erickson, Cole Tyman, Conor O’Reilly Cooper Kapanke, Mitch Voller, Campbell Kapanke and Sam Harris

2023 will stand as the 7th season of play for the Eau Claire Rivermen in the historical Chippewa River Baseball League.

The season of 2022 saw the Rivermen battle to an 8 and 10 CRBL record and a 7th place finish in the 10-team standings. Overall, the ‘Men finished at 17 and 19. Fair to say the highlight of the year was qualifying for the WBA and playing in the Ellsworth Regional. After losing a tight, 3-0 contest to a tough Hudson River Rats team, the Rivermen captured their first WBA victory in franchise history with a 9-6, 10-inning win vs. the Whittlesey Reds. In the seesaw 10-inning contest, the ‘Men were up 4-2, only to fall behind 9-6 before tying the game 9-all with 3 runs in the top of the 9th. In the deciding 10th frame, EC put up a 3-spot for the final margin of victory. Nonetheless, Hudson emerged from the 3-team pool to make it the WBA finals in Onalaska and Sparta.

2022 CRBL award winners for the Crew in Navy Blue and Grey included Lance Lettner in the outfield (1st All-CRBL award), Andy Niese at designated hitter (13th All-CRBL award), and Tyler Gray as honorable mention pitcher (7th HOM award). The fleet-footed Lettner also garnered his first gold glove recognition for his dynamic play in centerfield.

Alas, with a new season comes renewed hope, and the process of building a competitive roster never stops. With the return of 6 to 7 starters and the addition of several talented high school players from Eau Claire, the Men of the River are excited to take the diamond in 2023.

Regardless of wins and losses, the Eau Claire Rivermen are proud to be part of the storied Chippewa River Baseball League. We look forward to seeing you at Fairfax Field, our plush home park with ample seating and convenient parking.

ROSTER: Jake Becker, Patrick Callaghan, James Davis, Cooper Dykes, Joe Davis, Joel Effertz, Drew Gibson, Tyler Gray, Brett Jensen, Brett Johnson, Sam Knickerbocker, Jacob Lacy, Lance Lettner, Payton Loomis, Truman Lokken, Jonah Mueller, Andy Niese, Dave Roubal, Alex St. John, Hans Soukup, Sawyer Sturz, Jesse Urbanek, Tim Wilson, Carson Windeshausen

MANAGER: Andy Niese

After years of hoping to see change, the Sturgeons realized a sea change in 2022. Thanks to a stable core bolstered by some key additions, the team followed a 5-15 record in 2021 with a 9-9 finish last year. As a result, they made the WBA tournament for the first time since 2-13 and won a game in it for the first time since 1991. (As a testament to the strength of the CRBL, each of the six teams in the tournament won at least once.)

The Sturgeons enter 2023 with almost everyone back. One key loss will be catcher Kole Smith who, instead of defending the plate for Jim Falls, will be defending the country with the army. Meanwhile, look for new names to pop up in the box scores as the team has brought up some exciting hopefuls from the farm team in Cobban.

Looking at some of the offensive numbers turned in last year, we find rookie Bobby Soran hitting .524 with 11-21, Mitch Howard (.400, 4-10), CRBL Honorable Mention All-League Tristin Hable (.362, 17-47, with 11 R and 7 RBI), Bob Maurer (.292, 7-24), and Justin Toman (.279, 12-43). Throw in dependable CRBL Gold Glove winner and team grand slam specialist Ryan Krumenauer (15-58, .259) who led the team in taters while finishing second in hits and RBI, Evan Dennis (11-42, .262, with 11 BBs), Austin Sykora (10-43), and A. J. Schemenauer the team RBI leader (9), and the Sturgeons have the basis of a strong lineup.

CRBL Rookie-of-the-Year Will Jacobson leads the mound corps, having posted a 4-3 record with a 2.92 ERA and 42 Ks in 52.1 innings. His brilliant 12-inning complete game 5-2 win in the WBAs capped a stellar season. He was backed by Mike Maurer (3-3), Isaac Lindstrom (0.00 ERA in 10.1 IP), and manager Peter Thaler (3.45 ERA in 15.2 IP) among others. Jacobson and Lindstrom also picked up saves.

Jim Falls was well represented at the All-Star game as well, sending Toman, Jacobson, both Maurers, and Hable.

Welcome back to Sturgeon Stadium at Grudem Field for the 59th season of Sturgeon baseball. We’ll have a hot dog and a cold one waiting for you.

ROSTER: Trevor Bowe, Nelson Crumbaker, Evan Dennis, Jake Eslinger, Tristin Hable, Mitch Howard, Will Jacobson, Raven Keyeski, Wyatt Keyeski, Ryan Krumenauer, Isaac Lindstrom, Hunter Martell, Bob Maurer, Mike Maurer, A. J. Schemenauer, Beau Snyder, Bobby Soran, Austin Skorra, Peter Thaler, Justin Toman, Nick Pitsch, Kole Smith

MANAGER: Pete Thaler

The Merchants turned in another great season in 2022 finishing 15-3 in CRBL play. However the season was cut short in the second game of the WBA playoffs. Aaron Hagberg will take over the managerial duties this season as the Merchants try to extend one of the best runs in CRBL history. He will inherit a lineup filled with veteran studs. We would like to extend our thanks to all the great local sponsors. Having a top-notch organization would be difficult to run without your support. Hope to see you at the ballpark. WWMD!

ROSTER: Mason Kostka, Ryan Freitag, Tanner Marsh, Jaxon Kostka, Todd Wienkes, Jackson Johnson, Jimi Zawacki, Joe Zawacki, Logan Boettcher, Jesse Brockman, Alex Byom, Zak Iverson, Luke Eide, Brandt Freitag, Preston Gamroth, Nolan Matson, Scott Hovell, Garrett Koxlien, Gabe Richardson

MANAGER: Aaron Hagberg

The 2022 season came and went in the blink of an eye. The Tilden Tigers had a very memorable year full of many accolades. First by winning the CRBL Championship in consecutive seasons. The second being a runner-up finish in the WBA State Championship game, coming up just short of our ultimate goal. It’s always fun when you end your season in the last game possible, but we are still not satisfied. The third being all the participants that represented the North in the All Star Game. The Tilden Tigers cannot wait to turn the page to the 2023 season.

We will be returning our entire core from our team last year. We are very excited with the additions of Jimmy Schemenauer and Adam Larock. PJ Lequia, Carl Krumenauer, Steph Scatassa, Noah Hanson, and Trevor Olson will be the power behind the rotation this season once again. Our core group of veterans mixed with a group of young fellas will bolster our league leading offense. The Steinmetz Family will once against be taking up many spots in our starting lineup. Our MVP, Jordan Steinmetz, is looking to try and repeat this season. Cole Zwiefelhofer, Jon Schoch, and Alex Ruf will coincide as Captains of this roster and we would not want it any other way.

With the addition of Augusta, we are very excited to be back to the North Format and look at defending that title. We cannot wait to get the season started! None of this would be possible without the amazing support of our fans. We always love to give them a HUGE shoutout. Let’s play ball!!! Go Tigers!

CRBL Preview

Baseball greetings to all our fans, followers, alumni, and friends. It is with great sincerity that we would like to welcome you to another year of competitive amateur baseball within the storied Chippewa River Baseball League. Incredibly, 2023 marks the 95th season of play over 115 years, dating back to the CRBL’s first season of existence in 1908. Very few baseball leagues across the USA – amateur or professional – can substantiate such an existence of length and success. Plainly stated, this is something that anyone associated with the CRBL should take great pride in.

2022 saw the CRBL operate without divisional play for the first time since 1972. From the 10-team arrangement, the Tilden Tigers claimed the best regular season record at 16 and 2, followed by the wildcard teams of Osseo (15-3), the Eau Claire Bears (13-5), and Chippewa Falls (12-6). In the August 6th championship tilt at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls, Tilden beat Osseo 12-5 to capture their league record 39th championship.

The following weekend, seven CRBL teams ventured into the WBA Tournament. From the semi-final fracas of pool play, only Tilden and the Eau Claire Cavaliers survived to the subsequent Finals weekend, with Tilden continuing to roll all the way to the WBA championship game. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost a heart breaker in the title bout to the River Falls Fighting Fish, 3 to 2.

Looking ahead to 2023, the CRBL will welcome back the Augusta Athletics, who played in the league from 1989 to 2019. Also returning will be the tradition of divisional play in the following arrangement:

South Division (6 teams): Augusta Athletics, Beef River Bullfrogs, Eau Claire Bears, Eau Claire Cavaliers, Eau Claire Rivermen, and Osseo Merchants.

North Division (5 teams): Bloomer Fighting Woodticks, Cadott Red Sox, Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks, Jim Falls Sturgeons, and Tilden Tigers.

Old Man Winter put the lumber to us (again) this winter. Yet, like they do every year, the sights and sounds of summer return – whirling baseballs, hot summer nights, freshly cut grass, the crack of the bat………………………..LET’S PLAY BALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRBL 2023 Season Schedule Revealed

The Chippewa Rivers Baseball League (CRBL) has revealed the 2023 season schedule. With the re-entry the league of the Augusta Athletics, the managers voted to reinstate the North and South divisions. Five teams will compete for the North Division and six teams will compete in the South Division. The 110-game season will see each CRBL team play a 20-game schedule starting April 30th, 2023. The 2023 season will mark the 94th season of league play.

Notable Schedule Dates

  • Sunday, April 30th – Opening Day
  • Friday, June 30th – CRBL All-Star Game hosted by the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks at Casper Park, 7 pm (Hall of Fame Classes of 2023 to be honored)
  • Wednesday, August 2nd – Wildcard Wednesday
  • Saturday, August 5th – Championship Saturday

All weekday games begin at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted). All weekend games begin at 12:30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Follow www.crblbaseball.com all season long for scores, standings and schedule changes.

Each team individual 2023 schedule can be found at their team page:

NOTE: Schedule Subject to Change

2022 Season Highlights

  • May 22nd – PJ Lequia tossed a 9-inning shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks.
  • June 5th – Jim Thill (Eau Claire Bears) breaks CRBL career triple record with his 15th.
  • June 5th – Chevy Tollefson (Eau Claire Bears) records his 14th career shutout in a 11-0 win over the Bloomer Woodticks. It’s good for third all-time, tied with Tyler Gray.
  • June 5th – Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) records his 1,000th career strikeout. He becomes only the third pitcher in CRBL history to reach this milestone along with Russ Nelson and Ron Cronin.
  • June 5th – Todd Wienkes (Osseo Merchants) records a 4-hit game in an 11-0 win over the Tilden Tigers.
  • June 16th – Chevy Tollefson (Eau Claire Bears) records his 15th career shutout in 2-0 win over the Beef River Bullfrogs.
  • July 1st – CRBL All-Star game is hosted by Eau Claire Cavaliers at Carson Park. South division beats North division 4-3 and Ryan Freitag is named game MVP. The last time the CRBL all-star game was played in Eau Claire was 1909 when the Eau Claire Giants beat the Chippewa Valley League All-Stars 1 to 0 at Driving Park.
  • July 10th – Matt Miller records two stolen bases to set the all-time CRBL record. He passes Tyler Manley who recorded 144 over his career.
  • July 17th – Jordan Steinmetz records a 4-hit game versus the Eau Claire Bears.
  • July 17h – PJ Lequia records a 7-inning shutout in a double-header sweep of the Eau Claire Bears.
  • July 20th – Jordan Steinmetz finished the season on a 9 game hit-streak.
  • July 24th – Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) throws a 7 inning no-hitter in a 14-1 win over the Cadott Red Sox. Ryan & Brandt Freitag, a father-son duo, each hit two home runs in same victory.
  • PJ Lequia finished the season with a perfect 7-0 record on the mound.